Critterbook vs Notes Practice
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Critterbook
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Critterbook is a painted field guide to the creatures your family actually meets: the isopods in the terrarium, the orb weaver by the porch light, the frog at the pond. Every one of its 36 creatures is a hand-finished painted plate on warm paper. Snakes, poison frogs, isopods, and the backyard visitors kids find on their own. Tap a plate for its vitals, its story, and the kind of fact a child repeats at dinner. POINT THE BUG LENS Found something? Look at it through the Bug Lens. Identification happens entirely on your phone; the photo never leaves the device. When Critterbook recognizes a creature from its guide, it suggests a match honestly ("Looks like a ladybug!") and never gives a confident wrong answer. FILL YOUR JOURNAL Every creature you find gets pressed into your Journal, a collection wall that starts as 36 ghosts and fills with color as your family finds them. Two ways to collect: scan one with the Bug Lens, or mark it seen in person. NOMINATE NEW CREATURES Found something the guide doesn't know? Nominate it. New plates are painted and added to the guide over time. MADE FOR FAMILIES - Free. No ads, no accounts, no purchases. - Private by design: everything happens on your device. - Works offline, in the yard, at the park, off the grid. Critterbook is painted, not photographed. A field journal your family fills together.
Notes Practice
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Learn to read music notes fast โ flashcard style. Notes Practice deals you notes on the treble or bass staff. Answer each card your way: say the note name out loud, tap the letter, or play it on the on-screen piano. SAY IT, TAP IT, OR PLAY IT - Voice answers with instant on-device recognition (English and Dutch) - Big letter buttons A to G - An on-screen piano keyboard PRACTICE YOUR WAY - Treble clef, bass clef, or both - Note ranges starting from middle C - Three speeds: fast (1s), medium (2s), slow (4s) per card - Relaxed mode: no time limit, every note once, zero pressure - Ear training: hear the tone, name the note - Weak-note focus deals your trouble notes more often EARN YOUR STRIPES - Badges for every speed and duration at 80% accuracy or better - Superbadges and a crown for the truly dedicated - Daily practice streaks - Stats with accuracy trends and per-note miss rates โ resettable anytime No accounts. No ads. No tracking. Your practice data never leaves your device.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Notes Practice at every 5 days against Critterbook's every 3 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Critterbook ships an update every 3 weeks, Notes Practice every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Critterbook | Notes Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 5 days โ better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch โ better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 โ better | 18.0 |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 257 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Altai Ventures LLC | Iwan Hoogendoorn |
In-app purchases
Critterbook
No in-app purchases
Notes Practice
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Critterbook free?
Is Notes Practice free?
Do Critterbook or Notes Practice have ads?
Which is updated more often, Critterbook or Notes Practice?
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